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Reply #53: Well, I disagree on the question of who played the card first and with what intent [View All]

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TragedyandHope Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Apr-28-08 09:33 AM
Response to Reply #48
53. Well, I disagree on the question of who played the card first and with what intent
Edited on Mon Apr-28-08 09:35 AM by TragedyandHope
Obama is black, so it was going to come out sooner or later. During this Primary season, the Obama campaign has always been quick to address issues as they come up. Being generous, Bill's remarks were at best, condescending and impolitic. I think Obama's campaign jumped in to neutralize the dismissive pigeonholing of their candidate. Obama is running on a universal message (whether you buy it or believe or not), and he has been steadfastly avoiding being forced into a marginalized box, to the chagrin of various smaller factions of the party that don't feel he is adequately addressing their specific issues. (Yes, he is even getting these complaints from the black community and black press.)

Even before South Carolina, these racial undercurrents where already there within the media and coming from Right Wing whispering campaign emails and such. As I recall, some less scrupulous, lower level members of the Clinton campaign were dismissed for latching onto and spreading some of the RW bile.

In the same way that McCain can have it both ways by denouncing the recent NC GOP ad, appearing to be above the fray and respectable, while at the same time he unquestionably benefits from the negative message, I think that the Clinton campaign has also clearly benefited from playing both side of this issue (with implied racism and by casting themselves as victim of reverse-racism).

Clinton has made political hay out of fear of race and fear of the unknown, with the "he's not like us" undercurrent to her campaign.

Personally, I believe that she has done herself more harm than good by pushing away loyal Democratic black voters and longtime Clinton supporters in exchange for gaining a few votes from the "I wouldn't trust a black man in the White House" crowd.
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